Introduction: This study assessed the agreement of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan and sinus endoscopy findings and attempted to find a diagnostic accuracy of CBCT in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Methods: Forty-two patients with CRS referred to the Aria and 22 Bahman Hospitals in Mashhad, Iran, during the year 2011 were included in this cross-sectional study. Paranasal sinus CBCT scanning and endoscopy were performed in all patients. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV), and accuracy of CBCT were determined, and the agreement between CBCT and endoscopy findings was evaluated. Results: In most of our findings, except for infundibulum thickening, there was a strong agreement between CBCT and paranasal sinus endoscopy, with a kappa coefficient >0.80 (p < 0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy of CBCT were >80% for most of the findings, except for infundibulum thickening and septal deviation. Conclusion: CBCT has nearly the same diagnostic accuracy as sinus endoscopy. The accuracy of CBCT scanning is high, and CBCT findings are well correlated with sinus endoscopy findings. Considering its high accuracy and lower costs and radiation doses, CBCT may be a proper alternative method for diagnostic sinus endoscopy in the assessment of CRS in patients with a contraindication for sinus endoscopy.

The aim of this paper is to investigate p53 gene expression in the central and peripheral zones of glioblastoma multiforme using a real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique in patients who use cell phones ≥3 hours a day and determine its relationship to clinicopathological findings and overall survival. Sixty-three patients (38 males and 25 females), diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), underwent tumor resection between 2008 and 2011. Patient ages ranged from 25 to 88 years, with a mean age of 55. The levels of expression of p53 in the central and peripheral zone of the GBM were quantified by RT-PCR. Data on p53 gene expression from the central and peripheral zone, the related malignancy and the clinicopatholagical findings (age, gender, tumor location and size), as well as overall survival, were analyzed. Forty-one out of 63 patients (65%) with the highest level of cell phone use (≥3 hours/day) had higher mutant type p53 expression in the peripheral zone of the glioblastoma; the difference was statistically significant (P=0.034). Results from the present study on the use of mobile phones for ≥3 hours a day show a consistent pattern of increased risk for the mutant type of p53 gene expression in the peripheral zone of the glioblastoma, and that this increase was significantly correlated with shorter overall survival time. The risk was not higher for ipsilateral exposure. We found that the mutant type of p53 gene expression in the peripheral zone of the glioblastoma was increased in 65% of patients using cell phones ≥3 hours a day.

Seasonal (monthly) variations of the weather (humidity and temperature) have a significant impression on preeclampsia prevalence.

La rinoplastica è una procedura chirurgica molto comune e al tempo stesso di elevata complessità. Uno degli aspetti più discussi di tale chirurgia sono gli insoddisfacenti esiti funzionali dovuti spesso ad un eccessivo restringimento dell’area della valvola nasale. Alcune procedure, come la turbinoplastica inferiore, possono favorire la prevenzione di tali problematiche ostruttive. L’intento del presente studio è quello di indagare gli effetti della turbinoplastica inferiore sulla resistenza nasale e sull’ostruzione respiratoria. In 50 pazienti è stata effettuata un’analisi preoperatoria e sei mesi dopo rinoplastica con turbinoplastica inferiore mediante rinomanometria anteriore attiva. Nessuno dei pazienti ha lamentato sintomatologia ostruttiva nasale nel preoperatorio o nel corso del postoperatorio. In accordo con i dati rinomanometrici sia le resistenze inspiratorie che quelle espiratorie hanno presentato valori migliori nel postoperatorio, ma solo le resistenze espiratorie hanno presentato una significatività statistica (p = 0,034). Le differenze in termini di flusso nasale fra maschi, femmine e differenti gruppi di età non sono state significative (p > 0,05). In conclusione dai dati del nostro studio emerge che la rinosettoplastica, associate a turbinoplastica parziale non ha un impatto negativo sulla funzionalità nasale ed in particolare sul flusso aereo attraverso le cavità nasali.

Despite developments in the therapeutic field of cosmetic surgery, there is a little information about the effects of cosmetic procedures on quality of life (QOL), especially in Iran. Rhinoplasty is the most common cosmetic surgeries. The aim of this study was to evaluate QOL and General Health before and after rhinoplasty. Patients aged 18 to 55 years seeking cosmetic rhinoplasty were included in this study. Demographic information such as age, sex, marital status, and education of patients were recorded. General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire were completed by a single investigator for all patients, before and 3 months after rhinoplasty. A total of 50 patients were enrolled in this study. Overall, 78% were women and 22% were men. QOL did not change significantly (p < 0.05) except for its psychological domain, which did not depend on sex, age, marital, and educational status. Also, general health changes after rhinoplasty was not statistically significant (p > 0.05) and it did not depend on age, sex, and marital status. It seems that cosmetic rhinoplasty has no significant effect on general health and QOL except for its psychological health domain.